Club of the Year

“Fencing Club of the Year”- 2016-2017

To qualify for a “Fencing Club of the Year” designation for 2016-2017, a club had to either, i) rank #1 in Top 8 medal points for the set of National Domestic Point Competitions for one of 30 age-gender-weapon categories, or ii) rank # 1 in points in designated Cadet, Junior, and Senior International Competitions for one of 18 age-gender-weapon categories.

Clubs awarded our “Fencing Club of the Year” designation in one of 48 categories are listed in the accompanying tables. In all 23 clubs were awarded our “Fencing Club of the Year.” The Manhattan Fencing Center, NY qualified in seven categories, followed by New York Athletic Club, NY which qualified in five categories. Next, was the Fencers Club, NY which qualified in four categories, followed by Massialas Foundation (M Team), CA, Alliance Fencing Academy, TX and Fencers Club of Arizona, AZ, all qualifying in three categories.

Manhattan Fencing Center’s Foil Coach, Nellya Sevostyanova in front of the clubs “Fencing Club of the Year” banner.

"Fencing Club of the Year" - National Domestic Point Competitions 2016-2017

Category

Fencing Club

Notable Fencers

Youth Men’s Foil

Fencing Academy of Westchester, NY

Zachary Binder & Lucas Lutar

Youth Men’s Saber

Nellya Fencers, GA

Cody Ji & Colby Harley

Youth Men’s Epee

New York Fencing Academy, NY

Skyler Liverant & Ian Goldfine

Youth Women’s Foil

Silicon Valley Fencing Center, CA

Anastasia Yankovskiy & Skylar Knight

Youth Women’s Saber

Manhattan Fencing Center, NY

Rebecca Whang & Ashley Yang

Youth Women’s Epee

Medeo Fencing Club, NJ

Jessica Lin & Sarah Gu

Cadet Men’s Foil

Massialas Foundation (M Team), CA

Kenji Bravo & Rishi Ranadive

Cadet Men’s Saber

Bergen Fencing Club, NJ

Saron Mitchell & Roscoe Swartz

Cadet Men’s Epee

Alliance Fencing Academy, TX

Michael Bissinger & Isaac Herbst

Cadet Women’s Foil

Fencers Club, NY

Lauren Scruggs & Delphine Devore

Cadet Women’s Saber

Manhattan Fencing Center, NY

Veronica Czyzewski & Elizabeth Tartakovsky

Cadet Women’s Epee

Los Angeles International Fencing Center, CA

Caroline Nixon & Catherine Beddingfield

Junior Men’s Foil

Massialas Foundation (M Team), CA

Julian Knodt & Michael Li

Junior Men’s Saber

Manhattan Fencing Center, NY

Karol Metryka & Benjamin Natanzon

Junior Men’s Epee

Alliance Fencing Academy, TX

Sean Wilson & Nicolas Wilson

Junior Women’s Foil

Fencers Club, NY

Lauren Scruggs & Delphine Devore

Junior Women’s Saber

Fencers Club of Arizona, AZ

Kara Linder & Gillian Harrill

Junior Women’s Epee

Alliance Fencing Academy, TX

Giana Vierheller & Barbara Vanbenthuysen

Senior Men’s Foil

Brooklyn Bridge Fencing Club, NY

Samuel Moelis & Joseph Marino

Senior Men’s Saber

Manhattan Fencing Center, NY

Benjamin Natanzon & Karol Metryka

Senior Men’s Epee

New York Athletic Club, NY

Jacob Hoyle & Alexander Tsinis

Senior Women’s Foil

Fencers Club, NY

Nicole Ross & Kelleigh Ryan

Senior Women’s Saber

Bergen Fencing Club, NJ

Francesca Russo & Anne-Elizabeth Stone

Senior Women’s Epee

New York Athletic Club, NY

Kelley Hurley & Katherine Holmes

Veteran Men’s Foil

Denver Fencing Center, CO

Nathan Andersonh & John Kissingford

Veteran Men’s Saber

Virginia Academy Of Fencing, VA

Philip Sbarbaro & Geroge Christopher Matt

Veteran Men’s Epee

DC Fencers Club, MD

Theodore Pary & Kazimieras Campe

Veteran Women’s Foil

Rockville Fencing Academy, VA

Eliabeth Merritt & Marsha Reichman

Veteran Women’s Saber

Infinity Fencing Alliance, NJ

Jane Eyre & Ellen O'Leary

Veteran Women’s Epee

DC Fencers Club, MD

Valerie Asher & Lisa Dobloug

Source: National Fencing Club Rankings

Concentration of Expertise

Peter Westbrook Foundation was the only club to qualify for our “Fencing Club of the Year” in two weapons. This bears testament to the degree of specialization in our sport. While there are a number of multi-weapon clubs among the finalists, it appears that most clubs concentrate on and become an expert in one weapon. Ten foil clubs captured the #1 ranking in 16 categories, with Fencers Club, NY taking four, Massialas Foundation (M Team), CA taking three and Silicon Valley Fencing Center, CA qualifying in two categories.

The expertise is a little more concentrated in epee with eight clubs capturing the #1 rank in 16 categories. The New York Athletic Club, NY leads the pack with 5 qualifications, followed by the Alliance Fencing Academy, TX with three. The DC Fencers Club, MD, and Los Angeles International Fencing Center, CA are tied in third place with two qualifications.

The concentration of expertise is most marked by saber where six clubs capture the # 1 ranking in 16 categories. The Manhattan Fencing Center, NY captured seven of the 16 # 1 rankings. The club was followed by Fencers Club of Arizona, AZ with 3 # 1 rankings, and Bergen Fencing Club, NJ and Nellya Fencers, GA, each with two # 1 rankings.

"Fencing Club of the Year" - International Designated Point Competitions 2016-2017

Category

Fencing Club

Notable Fencers

Cadet Men’s Foil

5 T Fencers Club, NY

Andrew Machovec & William Palazzolo

Cadet Men’s Saber

Nellya Fencers, GA

Christopher Walker & Raymond Zhao

Cadet Men’s Epee

New York Athletic Club, NY

Ryan Griffiths & Cedric Mecke

Cadet Women’s Foil

Fencers Club, NY

Delphine Devore & Lauren Scruggs

Cadet Women’s Saber

Fencers Club of Arizona, AZ

Kara Linder & Gillian Harrill

Cadet Women’s Epee

New York Athletic Club, NY

Greta Candreva & Ariana Mangano

Junior Men’s Foil

Silicon Valley Fencing Center, CA

Geoffrey Tourette & Sidath Kumbla

Junior Men’s Saber

Manhattan Fencing Center, NY

Karol Metryka & Benjamin Natanzon

Junior Men’s Epee

Schoolhouse Fencing, UT

Wesley Johnson

Junior Women’s Foil

Peter Westbrook Foundation, NY

Iman Blow

Junior Women’s Saber

Fencers Club of Arizona, AZ

Kara Linder & Gillian Harrill

Junior Women’s Epee

Los Angeles International Fencing Center, CA

Catherine Nixon & Catherine Beddingfield

Senior Men’s Foil

Massialas Foundation (M Team), CA

Alexander Massialas & Gerek Meinhardt

Senior Men’s Saber

Manhattan Fencing Center, NY

Daryl Homer & Benjamin Natanzon

Senior Men’s Epee

Peter Westbrook Foundation, NY

Benjamin Bratton & Adam Rodney

Senior Women’s Foil

Bluegrass Fencers' Club, KY

Lee Kiefer & Stefani Deschner

Senior Women’s Saber

Manhattan Fencing Center, NY

Dagmara Wozniak & Monica Aksamit

Senior Women’s Epee

New York Athletic Club, NY

Kelly Hurley & Courtney Hurley

Source: National Fencing Club Rankings

Long considered the Capital of U.S. Fencing, New York State is home to eight “Fencing Club of the Year” recipients for 2016-2017. It is followed by California and New Jersey with two recipients apiece.

“Fencing Club of the Year” Digital Badge

Further information about the ranking process used to identify the “Fencing Club of the Year” can be found here. The annual cycle for the Youth competitions begins with the Y14 NAC in October/November and finishes with the following Y10, Y12 and Y14 National Championships in June/July.

The cycle for the Cadet events begins with the July Challenge and ends with the following Junior Olympic Championships in February. The July Challenge reflects age eligibility as specified by the FIE for the next World Cadet Championships (i.e., between the ages of 13 and 16 as of January 1 prior to the next World Cadet Championships).

“Fencing Club of the Year” Digital BadgeThe cycle for the Junior competitions begins with the July Challenge and finishes with the Junior Olympic Championships in February. The July Challenge age eligibility is in accordance with the FIE age criteria for the next World Junior Championships (i.e., the fencer must be between the ages of 13 and 19 as of January 1 of the year of the next World Championships). The annual cycle for Senior competitions begins with the Division 1 events at the July Challenge and ends with the Division 1 National Championships in March. The annual cycle for Veteran competitions begins with the Veteran events in December and ends with the Veteran National Championships in June/July.

Receiving a “Fencing Club of the Year” designation reflects the highest honor for a club for it is either a #1 ranked club for Top 8 medal points in one of 30 domestic age-gender-weapon categories or a #1 club in points in one of 18 age-gender-weapon categories in designated Cadet, Junior, and Senior International Competitions. It’s respect among competitors and its “bragging rights” are well deserved! The ultimate way to show off your “Fencing Club of the Year” selection is with one or more of the customized marketing and communication tools created exclusively for NFCR’s 2016-2017 honorees. Make the most of making the list! Further details can be foundhere.

Readers are also encouraged to review our National Fencing Club Championships for 2016-2017 for USA Fencing National Tournament season. The Championships rank all clubs by the total number of medals won by Top 8 fencers at National Tournaments held throughout the year.

President and Head Coach of Zeta Fencing, Zoran Tulum and Junior Sabre Coach, Matthew Zich with student fencers proudly display Zeta Fencing’s “Fencing Club of the Year 2014-2015” banner.

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National Fencing Club Rankings (NFCR)

NFCR is an independent organization that provides the fencing community with objective, accurate and in-depth rankings of fencing club performance in the U.S. Clubs listed in our annual “Fencing Club of the Year” and “Best Fencing Clubs” lists can take full advantage of their accomplishments with our customized banners, plaques and digital badges to publicize and market their outstanding achievements.